ISU football brought back to life in Miles's short time there

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - If you haven’t heard the news by now, Indiana State Sycamores Head Football Coach Trent Miles accepted the Head Coaching position at Georgia State.

A lot has changed since Miles took over at his Alma Mater five years ago.

Sports 10’s Ross Rowling is taking us on a look back at Mile’s tenure and what’s in store for his future.

“The appeal for our program, now, is so much better than it was 4 years ago, 5 years ago,” said Indiana State University Athletic Director Ron Prettyman.  “I’m grateful to coach miles for taking the chance, though this was his home.”

Growing up in Terre Haute and line up at wide receiver for the Sycamores in college, Miles was home in the Wabash Valley.

“Being back in the Wabash Valley for 5 years was wonderful, after being gone for 20 years.  And, we’ll still keep home here and get back and be donors to the program, and make sure that the practice field is taken car of,” said former Sycamores Head Coach Trent Miles.

Miles not only built a practice field, he breathed new life into a stagnant program.

After 20 years of coaching, Miles brought with him the experience of working with major programs like Notre Dame, Washington and Stanford, and a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers.

Before Mile’s return, the Sycamore Football Program was on the chopping block due to their inconsistent play and fan turnout.

Then came Miles, bringing with him a vision of not what is, but seeing what the program could truly be: a winning football team.

“Winning at North Dakota State was great.  Getting that very first win against Western Illinois a few years ago was great,” Miles started, “but there’s a lot of great memories, and they all have to do with being in that locker room with those young men, and being on the field with the guys that put out the blood, sweat and tears.  So, those were great memories.”

He found the program as some had viewed it: a helpless lamb waiting to be cast out to the wolves in the next game, and he made it into a lion.

“Under his leadership, ISU’s back to a Top 25 program, and this is where we need to be and strive to be even high,” ISU AD Prettyman said.

Under Trent Miles’s five short years, he’s made the job he left, a desirable one for the coach that follows.

Miles will find himself in a familiar situation in Georgia, who are coming off a 1-10 season and moving up to a Division 1 conference.

If history repeats itself, he’ll turn things around.

Next season, back here in Terre Haute, the Sycamores will bring back key players from this previous 7-4 season, including show stopping running back Shakir Bell.

Georgia State will hold a press conference Monday morning at 11:30, which will be live-streamed on WTHITV.com .